


The Gathering

by Aini



Series: Fodlan Rebuilt [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Eisner Twins, F!Beleth, Gen, M!Byleth - Freeform, Post-Timeskip | War Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:01:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26240797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aini/pseuds/Aini
Summary: Things have gotten out of hand. More than Edelgard had ever prepared for. Desperate times call for desperate measures and in order to guarantee success for Fódlan, she makes a decision about information that she would have originally carried to her grave. A secret meeting is all she can think of to do what she can to prepare against this threat.No one is really prepared for what is revealed.
Series: Fodlan Rebuilt [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1906111
Comments: 6
Kudos: 22





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> *Spoilers for anyone who hasn't completed all routes. Proceed at your own risk*
> 
> I think we all would have enjoyed a version of the game where everyone teams up against the Agarthans. This is my own take on that. This piece is a one shot, but will be part of a series that focuses on each House and particular members in it. Eventually I will post a timeline of how they play into each other, but for now I'm just going to start posting.
> 
> I hope you'll enjoy reading this! Comment and thoughts will always be welcome.
> 
> Sept 20, 2020 EDIT: I've decided to go with Beleth for F!Byleth in this story instead of Balam and I made the changes in this oneshot to reflect that.

It was odd, Dimitri thought, being here. In a small meeting room of an inn in a barely known village. He hadn’t even known it had existed until a few days ago, couldn’t remember if it even had a name. Of course, the surrounding area had been scoured for traps and ambushes, but anything that would have made him believe Edelgard’s request to be a ruse couldn’t be found. And so he and his entourage had waited patiently for the rest of the meeting’s participants to arrive, trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible with the village folk (they all had traded their normal garb for that of a common soldier).

Of course, it wasn’t only the location that made the current situation strange to him. He was no longer in a state of mind that was singularly focused on revenge. After what had happened to Felix at Gronder, he’d been broken from his beast-like trance and had somewhat returned to a normal state of mind, as normal as he could get at least. It was strange to be able to see the world again in a vision of life and vibrancy that had for nearly five years been missing. He hadn’t been given much time to adjust either.

What truly was the cherry on top of this whole situation, however, was that the major leader of each of the three parts of Fódlan were currently seated around the round conference table, with trusted aids and generals sitting or standing near their chairs. With Fódlan at war, one would normally think that such a gathering would be impossible. The situation was made even more odd by the fact that two of the professors from their academy days, the twins that he had thought they’d lost five years ago, stood by the two doors that led into the room, acting as guards for anyone who would want to get in or out.

The cups of water the inn keeper had brought in for the group remained untouched and for a moment there was only silence filling the room. Dimitri took a moment more to observe everyone in the room as many others seemed to be doing the same. Claude sat to his left, with Hilda and Lorenz flanking his sides. Professor Beleth stood at the door directly behind von Riegan and it was a true show of trust that he was willing to let his back face her. Lady Goneril looked bored at best while heir to Gloucester was scrutinizing the other generals, leaning in to occasional hear what Claude whispered to him.

To his right sat Edelgard, sitting straight and proud in her seat. To her right was Linhardt, someone Dimitri honestly hadn’t expected to see as one of her chosen entourage for this meeting. Still, he owed the man a debt and was pleased that, if nothing else, von Hevring would be able to see he was honoring the request that had been made of him. Ferdinand sat to her left, looking a bit anxious, if not curious, as to what would be shared. Of course, Edelgard could not go anywhere without her shadow, Hubert, who stood directly behind her seat against the wall.

Sitting back in his seat, Dimitri looked over to the other door, where Byleth stood guard opposite of his twin sister. It was honestly a comfort to have the man here. Of all the professors they’d had during their academy days, the Blue Lion house had most noticeably bonded with the younger Eisner twin. Of course, he felt even more comforted with Dedue standing behind him, just as sturdy as the shield he carried into battle with him. Ingrid sat to his left and Sylvain on his right, both of his childhood friends looking as serious as they did on a battlefield.

They weren’t complete without Felix and his lack of presence was something they all could almost physically feel. But as long as the man was recovering and resting back at the monastery, they would make do in his absence. Not that he would have wanted to be here anyway. Felix wasn’t much of a diplomat. At least, not when negotiations were at stake. His youngest childhood friend wasn’t gentle with his thoughts and right now that might not be the best, with three opposing forces in the same room.

Starting a fight here was not the goal of this gathering as far as he understood.

Edelgard shifted slightly in her seat, effectively catching everyone’s attention, and she nodded in greeting. “I know how...unorthodox this meeting is and how it was called together. Nonetheless, as someone who wants the best for Fódlan, I appreciate you coming.”

Dimitri crossed his arms over his chest in response, while Claude leaned forward with one elbow on the table. “Best for Fódlan, huh? Makes me all the more curious why you’d call us here and so secretively. After all, we’re all supposed to be at odds at the moment.”

Raising a brow, the Emperor squared her shoulders. “Something we’re all aware of, von Riegan, thus my gratitude stands.”

Smirking, Claude waved his hand in the air. “Now, now, no need to be so formal. We’re all former classmates, right? Just call me by my first name during this little discussion you’ve called together. It’ll be like old times.”

“I insist upon the same, though not for the sake of reminiscing,” Dimitri agreed, his single blue eye bouncing back and forth between the other leaders. “Perhaps it will help us be more...open to what it is you have to share, Edelgard.”

“Very well,” Edelgard nodded, sitting back in her seat a bit. “As you stated, Claude, I did call for this gathering in secret and for good reason. There is a threat to Fódlan that I have long been aware of and had planned to take care of once this war was over.”

“If you won the war, you mean?” Hilda asked, leaning forward on both elbows and resting her head in her hands. “I mean, nothing’s guaranteed, right?”

“Perhaps,” the Emperor acquiesced, as if the idea of her losing was impossible. “Again, I had planned to take care of it once the war was done. However, recently information has come to light that…has let me know that this is no longer something that myself and my forces would be able to eliminate, as much as it bothers me to admit. I greatly underestimated the cleverness of this foe and I can no longer assume that I would have what it takes to defeat them.”

“Care to cut to the chase instead of waxing poetic?” Sylvain quipped, earning a harsh glare from Hubert. He remained unfazed by von Vestra’s ire, a sharpness in his gaze that wasn’t something his former classmates were used to. It was almost calculating and so very unlike the inappropriate flirt they’d known during their academy days.

“Sylvain,” Dimitri murmured, looking over at his friend. Gautier nodded apologetically to his prince, but otherwise remained silent. “Please continue, Edelgard, and forgive our impatience. We have a strong inkling that what you have to share coincides with what happened to Felix at Gronder.”

“Felix?” Claude asked, sitting up straight. “What happened to him? He’s the best swordsman in Fódlan, save for our twin professors.”

“He was wounded at Gronder,” Ingrid answered, continuing only after getting a nod from the Faerghus Prince. “And it was no normal wound according to Mercedes. The knife he was struck with was...something we’re entirely unfamiliar with. We owe Linhardt for his aid.”

Linhardt caught everyone’s attention as he rolled his neck as he spoke up. “It wasn’t a normal blade. It was magicked in ways that aren’t listed in any magic book of Fódlan. Ah, but I’m getting ahead of the information. Her Majesty can best fill you all in on what you need to know before we get to my bit.”

Lorenz frowned thoughtfully. “I had wondered why you were here. You do not seem high in the chain of command, if I may be blunt.”

Shrugging lazily, Linhardt leaned on the arm of his chair and pressed his cheek against his loose fist. “You’re not wrong. As I said, I was getting ahead of things.”

With a soft sigh, the Emperor turned her attention to the man behind her. “I think it would be best to let Hubert explain to all of you of this threat.”

“As you wish, your Majesty,” von Vestra replied, stepping away from the wall and in between her and Ferdinand. The dimly lit room only seemed to enhance his gaunt features and it was almost as if he were going to start sharing a ghostly tale. “There is a force that has hidden in the shadows of Fódlan’s history for far longer than any of us could possibly realize. If they have a name for themselves, I do not know if it. I have been referring to them as Those Who Slither in the Dark whenever they have come up in my reports to her Majesty.”

“Those Who Slither in the Dark?” Dimitri questioned as if he was making sure he’d heard right.

“Yes,” von Vestra nodded. “They live beneath the ground and detest the people of Fódlan. You might have seen them on the battlefield. Pale skinned and dressed entirely in black. We do not have a full idea of the scale of their skills or prowess, but what we do know is that they are undeniably a threat. The blade that has been mentioned before is what all of their weaponry is made of, a specific ore that no living blacksmith we know of has the capability of forging. Further more, they have somehow managed to place their blood magic into the weaponry itself.”

“Blood magic?” Hilda asked, looking disgusted. “I don’t like the sound of that.”

“A normal response to the idea,” Hubert acknowledged, his pale gaze looking at the tabletop for a moment. “It is powerful magic, but as the name implies, requires blood to cast. And it need not be their own blood. It simply requires for them to have a quantity to wield it. Their hatred for the people of Fódlan fuels their spells in ways that you have already been introduced to, more than five years ago.”

“You speak of Tomas and Monica,” Dimitri said thoughtfully. “Or...Solon and Kronya, I believe were their true names.”

“Those two were of these people you’re talking about?” Ingrid asked.

“The very same,” von Vestra nodded. “They use the people of Fódlan in their experiments and spell work and it has only been in our lifetime that they have started to become more and more blatant about their actions.”

Dimitri’s eye narrowed and he slowly leaned forward as he pinned Edelgard’s shadow with his gaze. “What do you mean by in our lifetime?”

Hubert did pause, if only for a short moment, under the prince’s stare before he answered. “We don’t have time to list all of the...instances that I know of that these people are involved in, but they were involved in the Tragedy of Duscur. They also had a hand in the rebellion of Lord Lonato and how the Lance of Ruin so ‘easily’ fell into the hands of the disowned son of Lord Gautier.”

Breathing heavily, Sylvain’s hands started to curl around the arms of his chair and he looked furious. Dimitri, too, looked ready to break something, to go on a rampage. Dedue, though he hadn’t moved from his spot, had narrowed his eyes at the information and though no one could see it, his hands had clenched behind his back. Ingrid sucked in a slow breath before speaking as her voice shook with the numerous emotions she was feeling. “You’re saying...they are the instigators for the deaths of those in the Tragedy? Of the people of Duscur? Of Lord Lonato and his people?”

“That among many other things,” von Vestra replied, though he was visibly trying to keep himself calm in the face of the prince’s anger. He’d heard of his beastly strength on the battlefield and even he had to admit that, as much as he believed in Edelgard and her cause, he was not stupid enough to not realize that Dimitri could snap him in two. “As I said before, they hate the people of Fódlan and want to see their demise. They want to see us all suffer.”

“How do you know all of this?” Lorenz asked, eyes narrowing suspiciously. “If these people are so secretive, I have a hard time believing that your spy network is so elite that it outclasses our own that much. Or that you simply stumbled upon them by accident.”

Both Hubert and Edelgard paused, earning a concerned look from Ferdinand. The Emperor finally broke the silence, her eyes steely as she spoke. “Those Who Slither in the Dark have been allies of the Adrestian army since I have been a child. That is how we’ve been able to dig deeper into them.”

There was no outcry or shouting at her announcement, something that no doubt surprised the Emperor. Claude’s group looked startled at the news, with von Riegan himself looking very thoughtful about what he was learning. The fact that those from the Kingdom hadn’t erupted was, naturally, the most shocking and pale violet eyes moved to lock on them. The three aides looked furious at the info, but all of their gazes were turned towards their prince, as if waiting for his cue. Dimitri, who of all of them had every reason to be angry, was practically vibrating in his seat. The creaking of the wood under his fingers was ominous in the silence.

And yet he did not burst from his chair or fly at her with the intention to kill her. She held no doubt that the feelings of wanting to avenge his lost family and friends still lingered inside of him. After all, while she was willing to focus on her goal for the good of Fódlan, she had those feelings herself where her own siblings were concerned. Of the father who had loved her but had lost pieces of himself with the death of each of his children. Of how she’d watched him wither away to almost nothing before she took over the throne.

“Answer me this, Edelgard,” Dimitri demanded, his voice almost a growl as he spoke. “Were you involved with the Tragedy? Or with Lonato’s dissent? Of the theft of the Lance of Ruin?”

“I had no direct involvement with the events you’ve mentioned,” Edelgard answered quickly as her eyes fell to the table and then back up. “Most if not all of those were triggered by Those Who Slither in the Dark and I was later informed when it was too late to halt the events of those that fell during my academy days. Nor for the innocent lives of the people of Remire, five years ago. If I had found out sooner what they were doing, I would have...”

“There’s no point dwelling on the past,” Claude spoke, his voice clear. It cut through the tension between the Emperor and Prince enough that they were no longer lost in their own minds. “You can let it and the experiences you’ve had influence your decisions, but you can’t change what has happened. The best you can do is take what you’ve learned and use it for the benefit of others.”

“And forgive me for saying so, but we’ve all gotten away from the purpose of why we’re here,” Lorenz stated, which earned him a nod from the Alliance leader. “While I am sure there is much to be discussed in the way of the past events, it is not why we were called here and if we’re to retain the secrecy that you wish to have, I think it is best that we move forward.”

“Lorenz is right, as odd as that is to say,” Hilda agreed, though she certainly look more invested than she had before. She earned herself a glare from the Gloucester heir, but continued on unfazed. “There’s a war going on, if you all haven’t noticed, and now according to the Emperor, there’s a bigger battle to be fought.”

Dimitri was quiet for a moment before he closed his eye and took in a deep breath. He wanted to be angry, wanted to get all of his rage and hurt out. He wanted Edelgard to _know_ just what these peoplehad done to him, to Felix, Ingrid, and Sylvain. The fact that she was allied with them made it unforgivable! Yet Claude and his companions were right. He needed to think of Faerghus first, of Fódlan, and the people who were suffering. The people who were completely innocent in all of this. There would be time later to speak to Edelgard, to make his verdict on whether she was guilty or not.

The ghosts in his mind screamed for her head, demanded that their deaths be avenged. However all it took for him to refocus was the image of Felix, lying on the ground at Gronder, dying with a blade in his gut. Of Sylvain looking as if he was on the edge of breaking as he spoke to their youngest childhood friend, begging him to stay alive, to stay with them. Ingrid, pale faced and shut off from the world. Rodrigue, watching as he nearly lost yet another son. The dead...he would find a way to earn peace for their souls. But for the living...he would push those cries to the back of his mind until later.

“Lady Goneril is right,” he acknowledged, not unaware of how his attitude affected his own companions. He could visibly sense them calming down, loosening their tension in their seats. “Continue telling us about this threat.”

Edelgard looked to Hubert and nodded, and upon her silent command, he continued. “As Her Majesty stated before, we had intended to take care of them after the war was won. Those Who Slither in the Dark, however, perhaps have anticipated this and have begun to carefully take out people in every battle that’s been fought, weakening our forces bit by bit, in an effort to reach their goal of wiping out all of the people of Fódlan. We...were not aware that this tactic was being used against the Adrestian army as well as your own forces until recently.”

Humming softly, the Alliance leader sank back into his chair. “Explains why you reached out to us then. No doubt if only our armies had been the targets, you would have continued on without a word to either of us.”

Hubert did not deny or acknowledge Claude’s claim and instead responded with his own question. “Are you saying you would have done differently?”

Claude shook his head. “I’m not going to say whether I would or not, but I feel you’ve misunderstood me, oh Emperor’s shadow.” He smirked at the way von Vestra’s eyes narrowed, but continued on. “I was merely stating an observation, not at accusation. War, unfortunately, makes several less than upstanding and moral things permissible.”

“You must have figured out they were hitting your own army somehow,” Ingrid cut in, bringing the topic back on point. She glanced over at the Empire’s chief healer. “Am I wrong in assuming that Linhardt is part of this?”

“Solely, actually,” Edelgard stated, glancing over at von Hevring. “He alone has kept track of every individual in our army who has suffered a wound by the special weaponry that they wield. It was not until after Gronder that we were made aware of just how...dire this situation is.”

“Care to elaborate?” Dimitri asked, also looking over at Linhardt.

“I suppose that’s my cue,” von Hevring sighed, sitting up straight in his chair. “I’m not sure how familiar any of you are with healing magic, but it’s a fairly simple task. It doesn’t take much concentration to heal a wound, unless it’s a really bad one. It’s more an energy drain that it is a mental one. Of course, one can mess up a healing spell if they’re not concentrating at all, but I digress. That’s a topic that none of you are particularly interested in at this point, I’m sure. What really determines if someone lives or dies is how quickly we get to them or how long they’ve been...ugh, excuse me, bleeding out.” The last bit was said slowly, as Linhardt visibly had to try and not gag over the mention of blood.

“The level of Faith magic the healer knows also plays into this, but I suppose, again, I’m getting into a topic I don’t need to. The weaponry that these underground people are using, however, make things far more difficult with healing. The blades themselves are made with a special ore, as Hubert mentioned before. He also mentioned that blood magic is used on these blades. We haven’t really been able to figure out exactly how, but the ore and the particular spells used on the weapons create a devastating combination and make normal healing practically impossible.”

“Impossible?” Lorenz asked, raising a brow. “But you were able to heal the heir to Fraldarius, were you not?”

“Yes, but I had to adjust the healing spell I was using,” Linhardt explained. “The spell on these weapons sets a barrier of sorts at the edges of the wounds the blade creates. That barrier repels Faith magic. Using the normal spells does nothing and so, as I said, makes healing the wounds practically impossible. It took me many tries to figure out how to get passed that spell and it takes immense concentration to keep the barrier down. To put it simply, the healer basically has to focus on a small section of the wound at a time, push the barrier aside and...knit back together what was cut apart.”

“That was why you asked Mercedes if she could sense what you were doing,” Sylvain commented, looking thoughtful.

“Precisely,” von Hevring nodded. “I knew she was a high level Faith user and would be able to figure it out without me explaining it step by step. I was already a bit drained during the battle of Gronder and it was good that she came when she did. If she hadn’t, I would have exhausted myself and Felix most likely would have still died. I hope you know just how good of healer you have in your army. Not many would have been able to pick things up like that in such little time.”

Sylvain and Dimitri paled at the mention of Felix dying and nodded silently at Linhardt’s words. No doubt they were going to thank Mercedes again as soon as they were back.

“These weapons sound awful,” Hilda frowned. “How long did it take you to figure out how to get around it?”

Linhardt frowned. “Too long. These underground people really want to make sure they have the advantage when this is all over. I’m sure your armies have been hit worse than the Empire’s, but on our end I estimate that we’ve lost anywhere from five to twenty soldiers, per battle, to these weapons.”

Ingrid looked horrified. “Five to twenty?!”

Humming in acknowledgment, von Hevring continued. “They’re quitestrategic with where they normally strike and how they do it. Most of the deaths from these weapons are done on the far edges of the battlefield, where a healer is not usually within a reasonable distance. Not only that, but the spell’s barrier fades after the victim has died, so it would appear no different than any other wound. I happened upon a soldier who hadn’t passed away just yet in a previous battle and that’s when I first experienced trying to heal the injury. It wouldn’t be until later that I would find that the spell does leave a faint signature, one that can only be detected by trying to heal the deceased. I haven’t been able to teach enough of our healers how to heal these wounds yet, so more are dying than I can get to.”

“Far too many have been struck down in our army alone,” Hubert stated, jumping in when it was clear that Linhardt was done speaking. “Your armies have undoubtedly been hit worse than ours, since they do not need to hide their actions, so to speak, from you. As it stands if we let this continue by ignoring it, no doubt Those Who Slither in the Dark will simply wait until the time is right to make their final strike against all of us, regardless of whether this war is over or not.”

“So, to gather all of this up and put it in short form,” Claude said, looking around the table, “there’s a group out there that wants all of us dead and you want to suggest that all of us, temporarily at least, come to a truce to turn against these people and wipe out the threat they are.”

“Yes, essentially.” Edelgard confirmed, her gaze jumping between Claude and Dimitri. “Initially I had wanted to hire mercenaries to take care of this threat, to hinder them in their attempts to weaken us. I think, however, instead of retaliating with the same tactic they have been using, we need to eliminate the problem, once and for all.”

“That does seem to be your preferred method of handling things,” Dimitri snorted, frowning as he crossed his arms over his chest. “If this war is any indication of that.”

“Let’s not fall into pointing fingers now,” Claude interrupted, stopping the Emperor from responding to the Prince’s jab. “If this threat is really at our doorstep, we do need to address it quickly and bickering between ourselves isn’t going to help us do that. So, since our dear Emperor seems to have all of the information available about this group at her disposal, I’d like to hear out just what she has in mind on how to counteract Those Who Slither in the Dark. By the way, can we shorten that name, just for the sake of this meeting? How about the Slithers?”

Sighing heavily, Edelgard pressed one of her hands against her forehead. “Claude, please take this seriously.”

The Alliance leader looked mildly affronted. “I _am_ taking this seriously. The name suggestion was to make things move faster, not a joke to make people laugh. But never mind that. How exactly did you want to go about defeating these stealthy people?”

The Emperor once again deferred to her adviser and Hubert rolled his shoulders back. “Unfortunately, their base has been extremely difficult to pinpoint. We’ve never been invited and they’re very quick to cover up any trail they’ve made. There is one thing that could possibly lead us to where their home base is and then we could prepare adequately to make our strike. It would require you all, however, to trust me.”

Ferdinand, who had been nearly silent for the entirety of the meeting (a fact that those close to him had not missed), turned to look at von Vestra with a tiny frown. “Hubert, what on earth do you mean by that?”

von Vestra paused again before he answered. “Blood magic, which they are so fond of, leaves a trace behind after it’s been used, as Linhardt mentioned before. However, to truly sense the source of this magic you would need otherworldly skill with Faith magic. Or, if one has dabbled in blood magic themselves, you’ll be able to feel a pull when a powerful spell is used.”

Sylvain’s mouth curled down and his eyes narrowed. “You say that as if you’ve felt it before.”

“That’s because I have,” Hubert stated without an inch of hesitation. Other than a brief eye flick down to where Ferdinand sat, the gaunt man was completely unaffected by revealing this information. “Being allied with these people has given me...access to some tomes covering their spell work.”

“I want to say I am surprised, but I am truly not,” Lorenz sighed, shaking his head. “You do not seem to have any hesitation in using unsavory methods.”

“All I have ever done has been for the sake of her Majesty and for the Adrestian Empire,” Hubert replied, “unmoral as some of those methods the rest of the world might deem them to be.”

“So how exactly do we get the Slithers to use enough magic for you to track?” Sylvain asked, smirking slightly at the pleased grin Claude sent his way. “It doesn’t seem like they’d fall for just any trick in the book.”

“We need to continue the battles as we have been, in a sense,” Edelgard stated, “to make it seem that nothing has changed between the three of us. Nothing major, of course, but skirmishes here and there should be enough to keep their attention. We can use Gronder as an excuse as to why we’re not planning anything major. When we can say they are distracted, we need to then stage a major battle. Somewhere that would make them think that they would need to take drastic action to halt the flow of an invading army. A fortress.”

“And where exactly did you have in mind?” Ingrid asked, not unaware that all of those from Faerghus immediately had their thoughts turned to Arianrhod and that would be where the Emperor focused on. Perhaps she was about to suggest that they let her armies make their way to the Faerghus fortress, only for them to take it back.

But she surprised everyone with her response. “It needs to be Fort Merceus.”

Dimitri looked over at Claude, who seemed just as startled as he felt. “You...would allow it to fall, the last bastion that you have before Enbarr?”

Ferdinand looked extremely pale as he looked between his Emperor and her shadow. “The two of you...can’t be serious!”

Edelgard nodded, threading her hands together. “We are. As I said, we need the situation to look dire if we expect Those Who Slither in the Dark to use some of their stronger magic. And it needs to be a united front from the both of the armies opposing the Empire, as if you’ve allied with one another. This is how determined we are that we need to take them out before they can do any further damage.”

Drumming his fingers against the table, the Alliance leader stared hard at the Emperor. “Say we do this and we get the grand trail that we’re looking for. What’s to stop us from continuing on to Enbarr, to end this war in one shot?”

For a moment, the Adrestian leader said nothing. Finally, she let out a soft sigh and closed her eyes. “For the fact that Hubert is the only one who will be able to track the location of their base and I know he would not share that information if Enbarr was threatened while I still live. There are other safeguards we have in place as well. However, the most important thing I want to portray in letting Fort Merceus be our decoy is that Those Who Slither in the Dark need to be eliminated sooner than later and...I need your help to be able to accomplish that.”

“Before I make my decision, this seems as good of a chance as I’ll get to ask you a question that I’ve wanted to ask for five years,” Claude spoke, his attention fully focused on the Emperor. “What is it that you want for Fódlan? What do you want it to be after the war ends?”

“You wish to ascertain if my motives are good enough?” Edelgard challenged.

“Not necessarily,” the Alliance leader soothed. “I’m simply curious to see where your thoughts rest and how similar they might be to my own. I know we all have our secrets, but this might be the only opportunity we have to at least _try_ to come to an understanding. So, let’s hear it. You share yours, I share mine.”

The Adrestian Emperor pondered in silence for a moment, her lavender eyes locked with Claude’s green. She looked over at Dimitri as well, who merely stared back, awaiting her response. Were it any other situation, she wouldn’t deign to answer that question. There was simply no need for her to do so. But a quick glance over at Beleth, the woman she had called her teacher so fondly during her academy days had her pausing in her refusal. Something about that gentle look she received told her that things would be okay, if she shared some of her most inner thoughts.

Taking in a deep breath, she let it out slowly before she spoke, glancing over at Hubert who merely nodded his support in her decision. “I wish for a Fódlan that is not so focused on its crests, where people are given equal opportunity regardless of their social status to rise to positions of power. The nobility is corrupted, useless even, and the people suffer because of it. It brings about unnecessary hardship to the common populace while the nobles sit comfortably in their own wealth, afforded to them by their crests and the support of the church of Seiros.

“The church has only worsened this in the last couple of decades. Nobles unfairly tax their people to give the church a more generous donation, to earn their good graces. The leaders of the church live comfortably, hypocrites to the words of benevolence and generosity that they teach. The people then resort to crime to feed their loved ones, to try and right these wrongs, and are punished by the church, often with imprisonment or death. The church holds too much sway and their insistence on the need for crests even more so. Crests are not the boon they are praised to be. I wish to end the need for crests and a dependence on a religion that does not practice what it preaches.”

Her explanation was met with silence, as people pondered what she had shared. It would not be Claude or Dimitri who would respond to her first however. Ingrid’s hands curled into fists as she looked up at the Emperor from across the table, her eyes blazing with fury. “And you thought...that you were the only one who would want such a Fódlan? Did you even _think_ to reach out to others?”

Edelgard frowned. “Are you saying that you would have agreed with me back then?”

Ingrid scoffed in disbelief. “Did you hear nothing that was going on during our Academy days? Were you so blinded by your own plans and ambitions that you didn’t _see_ what was going on around you? I may not have been fully aware of what was happening with the other houses, but apparently I was more informed than you were!”

Dimitri let out a soft breath, looking over at his childhood friend sadly. “Ingrid-”

“No, your Highness, I will speak my piece,” Galatea snapped, looking as if she was ready to launch herself across the table. “I will tell her of her _folly_ in not paying attention to what was going on around her! To answer your previous question, _Edelgard_ , yes, yes I would have agreed with you. I would have loved to hear you out. And I would not have been the only one!”

“I’m afraid I can’t believe that,” Edelgard responded. “Did you not fear the church and its control?”

“You seem intent on thinking that the rest of us are bumbling fools who do not have an ounce of self-thought or are restrained by fear,” Ingrid snarled, getting to her feet. “What do you know of my struggles? Of Felix’s? Of Dimitri’s? Of Sylvain’s? Had you taken any time at all to pay attention to your surroundings you would see how much all of us do not care for the fates that have landed on our shoulders! From the day my crest emerged, my family has expected to wed me to a more well off noble house. I am the _only_ member of my family who is expected to shove my personal goals and desires aside and settle down as a simpering house wife! Because I have a crest!”

“And where does this pressure come from? From the church! The importance of crests has been so severely hammered into the brains of the people of Faerghus that those who have a crest are seen, by the majority, as nothing more than breeding livestock! That their _duty_ is to pass on that crest! Do you truly, honestly believe that all of us here were simply happy to accept that? That we didn’t have our qualms with such teachings? Do you really believe that we would not have heard your resolve to change things and not want to hear more, to fight with you?

“Instead of taking the best approach,” Ingrid continued, completely oblivious to the way that everyone was staring at her with wide eyes, “you instead snapped to the easiest decision.”

“It was far from easy,” Edelgard said, eyes narrowing. “Do you think I wanted a war?”

“If you had taken the time to reach out to others, you would have seen that war would have been unnecessary!” Ingrid snarled, so fiercely that Hubert had tensed in response, ready to strike. “It might have taken more years, but people wouldn’t have died by the sword. Thousands have suffered in this war, Edelgard, and you have only pushed the _importance_ of our crests to the forefront of everyone’s thoughts. If anything, you’ve confirmed that which has been taught by the church as the only time our crests truly have an effect is when we’re fighting! Fighting in a damn war that will take years to recover from when it could have simply taken longer to find those who agree with you!

“What could have possibly made you believe that there was urgency in your decision? That the change had to be immediate? We could have avoided five years of fighting! Could have avoided all the years it will take to recover from this war! Do you have any idea of how much farm land has been destroyed? How many crops have been obliterated? What of the families who have lost loved ones when it could have been avoided?! For the last five years we could have been working together to change Fódlan without harming the common populace!”

The Emperor took in a deep breath, trying not to look unsettled. “I was not under the impression that there would be any who agreed with me. Everyone seemed so loyal to the church.”

“Well, I think now would be a good time to make my entrance, especially after I’ve been able to witness one of the famous Ingrid Brandl Galatea lectures.”

All heads of those at the table snapped to their right, halfway out of their chairs, ready to strike. Only Hubert had remained calm, though he did look a bit annoyed. Beleth was clearly amused as a figure stepped away from the wall, while Byleth merely looked resigned to the dramatics. The man walked out with his hands raised in a peaceful gesture, though the smirk on his face easily communicated how amused he was to have startled everyone. Yet as his face entered into the light, the guarded looks turned to shocked ones.

“There’s a face I’ve not seen in a while,” Claude beamed, looking genuinely pleased. “It’s been a while, Yuri.”

“Indeed it has!” Dimitri exclaimed, his own expression delighted. “Have you been well? And how are the rest of the Ashen Wolves? I imagine you’ve all stayed in touch.”

“Good to know I’m welcome to this little gathering,” Yuri noted, his smirk growing as his hands dropped to his sides. “I have been fine, your Highness, and the rest of the wolves are still with me and doing alright themselves, for as much as I can tell. Though I’m a bit offended I didn’t get a personal invitation, your Majesty. I had to tag along with our old professors to even know this get together was even happening!”

“You’re not exactly the easiest person to track down, Yuri,” Edelgard retorted, glancing over at Hubert who was looking fairly irritated. “Believe me when I say we’ve tried.”

“Amazing how living in different parts of Fódlan can give you advantages of staying hidden when you want to,” the Ashen Wolves leader replied, shrugging his shoulders. “Living in Abyss has given me a set of skills that I doubt many, if any, of your own spies have. And as much as I’d like to continue the pleasantries, I believe I have information that will pull this whole little meeting together, to see just how much _all_ of you have been played by Those Who Slither in the Dark. Love the name, by the way, Hubert. Very creative.”

“Do get on with it,” Hubert frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. “You are implying that you’ve learned more about these people than what I’ve been able to gather?”

“Possibly,” Yuri answered, placing a hand on his hip as he came to stand at the edge of the table. “For all I know, you could already know these things and have decided not to share it for whatever reason. But that’s neither here nor there so I’ll ‘get on with it’, as you’ve requested. After the invasion of the monastery five years ago, myself and the rest of the Ashen Wolves gathered those in Abyss and made a break for it. Regardless of who won, we didn’t trust that the owners of the place, old or new, would take kindly to our kind.

“We wandered for a couple of years, doing odd jobs wherever we could find them. The war made it easy to avoid the targets that would normally be on our backs so we were able to market ourselves as mercenaries, though on the more stealthy side of things. At the start of year three we ended up finding our dear professors, who took charge of our little band. We’ve been taking on jobs that suit our interests best, never picking a side and doing more to help the common populace than the nobles.”

Claude glance over at Byleth before turning to look at Beleth behind him, frowning a bit. “You didn’t say anything for three years after your return?”

Beleth shrugged, though she did look a bit remorseful. “There simply wasn’t time for a reunion.”

Sighing, the Alliance leader sat back in his chair with a nod. “True. Sorry to interrupt, Yuri.”

With a wave of his hand, Yuri almost seemed to push away the apology. “I don’t blame you for being a bit offended. I even asked the two of them if they wanted to reveal their existence to all of you, but they said they wanted to lay low, to watch how things went. I believe they also wanted the freedom to move where they were needed most, instead of being tied to a single army. That freedom gave us the ability to take on all sorts of tasks, as well as start to hunt for information that could be useful.

“They organized all of us as best they could and that’s when the real hunt began. Both of our dear professors wanted information on the shape shifters who had impersonated Tomas and Monica. Anyway, you learn things after having lived in Abyss. Things that the normal spy or informant would look over. Not for lack of skill, mind you, but simply because it’s not a place one would think to look. Little hideaways like Abyss all over Fódlan that tend to be ignored.

“We’ve learned some interesting things, as secretive and stealthy as these people are. First off, they call themselves Agarthans, though I have no idea where the name originates. Another thing we’ve learned is that in order for them to take on the form of someone else, they need all the blood that person has to offer for the spell. Once it’s been cast, they can change back and forth as they please. Most of those that we know of tend to study their target for years, to learn their personalities and mannerisms. Kronya apparently didn’t care much about that, but she was definitely an exception. Most of the others have stayed true to the things they’ve learned.”

“How many of them are out there?” Claude asked, glancing over at Edelgard. “You must have some idea.”

“I know of a few,” the Emperor replied, though she looked a bit unhappy with what was no doubt going to be revealed.

“Oh, I imagine you do,” Yuri said, grinning lightly. “After all, Lord Arundel is one of them.”

“Lord Arundel?” Lorenz asked, shocked. “Is he not your uncle?”

“The man who was my uncle must have died at some point when I was growing up,” Edelgard answered. “The man who impersonates him at the moment has unfortunately been at my side for many years.”

Yuri hummed for a moment, clearly filing the information away. “There are, of course, others. Within the Alliance, some of the minor houses have had their leaders or advisers replaced by one of the Agarthans. No one from the major six, thankfully, but high enough that they’ve been able to create waves and influence the decisions of some of the higher lords. I can get those names to you later, if you’d like.”

Claude’s expression was neutral, but his eyes burned with anger. “I’ll take you up on that.”

The Ashen Wolves leader merely nodded before he turned his attention to Dimitri. “Faerghus is not safe from them either and in fact, your greatest foe at the moment, Cornelia, is one of their number.”

“Cornelia?” Dimitri asked, looking disheartened at first before resolve took its place. “No, I should not be surprised, with how she holds on to Fhirdiad for Imperial forces. I do have to wonder when...when the healer who had saved Faerghus from the plague fell into their hands.”

“Can’t say,” Yuri shrugged, “but it’s been a little while. Long enough that the Agarthan in her place would have taken over during your childhood. I have a...personal source for that.”

“You’ve done your homework,” Hubert stated, his face calm as he looked Yuri over.

“Well, once you find a trail and know what to look for, it seems to work out alright,” the Ashen Wolves leader laughed. “It would seem that the Agarthans are creatures of habit, like us humans, despite how much they might hate us. Still, it was hard work finding out all of that without getting caught or killed, so you’re welcome.”

Bringing a hand up under his chin, Claude’s gaze remained on the table as he put all the pieces of information together. “They’ve infiltrated well. Just enough to cause problems, but not be suspicious to anyone paying attention. After all, I hadn’t even known there was another group of individuals out there until today. Which makes me wonder what they were telling you, Edelgard, back during our academy days.”

The Emperor frowned. “What do you mean?”

With a small shrug, the Alliance leader gave her an easy grin. “I wasn’t exactly subtle with my lack of worship to the Goddess or the way I questioned them all the time. I would have thought I would have been someone you could have reached out to. Perhaps they dissuaded that, to keep us all separate?”

Edelgard hummed. “Perhaps. I remember thinking you might be safe to reach out to about my ideals, but you also were not very forthcoming with information about yourself. It was hard to fully trust you, especially with all your schemes and plans. However, I will admit that Lord Arundel was quite firm in the fact that there would be no one to agree with me and that I would have to rally my forces on my own. That people were still too devout to the church or too scared of it. I’m beginning to see that...I was mistaken in putting belief in his words. I had been misled, to their benefit.”

“You are not alone, your Majesty,” Hubert stated. “I, too, did not question his words enough. I see the folly that I have caused you to commit by not having enough information.”

“Dimitri, I’d like to ask the same question I asked Edelgard, if you’ll humor me,” Claude said, bringing the conversation over to the Faerghus Prince. “What is it that you want for Fódlan? If you won this war, what would you see done?”

All eyes turned to Dimitri, who was quiet as he gathered his thoughts. He sat tall and looked around the table, his gaze finally landing on Claude. “While my intentions may have been for Faerghus at first, I only wish for the best for the people of Fódlan. I do not wish to take away their choice to believe what they wish or to worship what they will. While many of us are devoted to the Goddess, I can not say I fully agree with all of the church’s methods. While I hadn’t thought of eradicating the noble class, I did want to bring a change to the system. The Kingdom is not alone in its corruption, but I had wanted to make changes so all of my people are taken care of. And I know that it is not something I could do on my own, so I had planned to bring together people from around the land to council me on the changes that would be best.”

The Emperor turned towards the Alliance Leader, as she thought over Dimitri’s words. “And you, Claude? What do you have envisioned for Fódlan’s future?”

Claude hummed, a small smile on his face. “I guess it’s only fair that I answer the same question. I want to break down the barriers between Fódlan and the countries that border it. I, of course, want the best for everyone who lives here too, but there’s far too much intolerance of the differences between people. Too much reliance on crests and uncontrollable traits. I just want to make Fódlan a place where everyone can live and be happy, regardless of where they’re from. So, in our own ways, it appears we all want the best for Fódlan and everyone living here.”

“It would seem we’ll have to gather together again once we’ve taken care of the threat of the Agarthans,” Dimitri said, looking over at Edelgard. “To properly sort out what would be in the best interest of the people. I don’t think trying to sort that out now would be wise.”

“Nor prudent,” Edelgard nodded. “Speaking with those who surround us will give us time to sort out what it is that we truly want for Fódlan and where we stand in the concept of the church. Before we depart to go our separate ways I simply want to make one thing clear about my stance where the church of Seiros is involved. I only made them my enemy, not the faith. I had no intentions of restricting people from believing in the Goddess.”

“Noted,” Claude replied. “Now, let’s hammer our the details of our next few skirmishes and this big battle at Fort Merceus. After all, we’ve got to make it believable.”

“Right,” Dimitri agreed. Edelgard nodded and with that the three of them were in agreement. It would be several hours before they will have come up with the proper strategies to make things believable, in addition to Linhardt promising to send what he could in written form to the other healers of the armies, to make their losses less devastating. But as they watched on, letting Yuri speak for their mercenary crew, Byleth and Beleth shared a small smile between themselves.

It may not be immediate, but it felt as if they were finally on the right track. Finally on the path to a brighter and better future for all of Fódlan.


	2. Fodlan Rebuilt Timeline

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A timeline of the Fódlan Rebuilt series, for those who would wish to read the story in chronological order.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I mentioned that I planned to post a timeline for this series and here we are. I plan to post in chronological order for the most part, but it never hurts to have a timeline for someone who might not have picked up the story right at the beginning. Eventually I might post the chronological order as one story for easier reading, but I'm not sure about that yet. I suppose I'll wait for feedback on that.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy the story as I share it!

**Fódlan Rebuilt Timeline** (As of February 20th, 2021)

\- In the Violet Light Part 1

\- All Consuming Flame Part 1

\- The Gathering


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